Tag: Alameda agents

Planning to Sell Your Home in 2023?

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Selling your home does not have to be stressful and overwhelming. Here are a few tips to help you get started on planning ahead ⤵️

🏡 Understand your local housing market. Take some time to connect with an experienced agent who can talk to you about the potential value of your home and help you decipher the comparable sales in your neighborhood. (It’s not all just about square footage or school zone especially when dealing with older homes that have more unique qualities.)

🏡 When you’re ready, hire a listing agent – but not just any agent. Make sure you work with a knowledgeable realtor who knows about your neighborhood and where you’d potentially want to move, but most important someone you can connect with. Your agent will be your advocate and counsel through an emotional and sometimes complicated undertaking of getting your home sold.

🏡 Set up a realistic listing timeframe. This is key! Selling a home is not a fast or overnight process, it does take time. For example, if your goal is to be on the market by April, you will need at least 2-4 weeks of prep time (sometimes more) depending on the condition of your home.

When you’re ready, reach out and I can help you determine a realistic timeframe that fits your needs as well as help coordinate any help you may need to get your house market ready.

 

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5 Tips Before Buying a Home

Posted on by Living Room Realty

BEFORE you buy a home, know these 5 things 👇

#1. How much you’re approved for if you’re financing and how much of your monthly budget do you want to dedicate to your housing costs?

#2. If you’re financing, be sure to talk to at least 2 lenders to compare products and rates.

#3. Find a realtor who is knowledgeable about the neighborhoods you’re looking in and that you connect with. Buying a home can be an intimate process so it’s important to feel aligned with your realtor’s “style”.

#4. How competitive is the market for buyers right now? Having perspective before you start shopping can help make the process smoother.

#5. What are the top things you’re looking for in a home that you AREN’T willing to compromise on?

If you live in the Portland area and need real estate guidance – whether that’s to buy or sell, get in touch with me. I’d love to chat and see how I could help!

How to Choose Your Buyer

Posted on by Living Room Realty

No doubt it is exciting to receive multiple offers on your home, but when it comes time to actually accept an offer it’s not uncommon for sellers to feel torn or unclear as to which is the best offer for them (it can be different for every seller).

Home offers are hard to interpret so I wanted to offer some helpful tips for when you find yourself in a multiple offer situation (perhaps a Part I?):

—Offer language tells a lot 📝

A purchase offer clearly indicates a buyer’s intentions (along with the more obvious details like if they are qualified, ready to purchase and have a lender in place). In a pool of offers, a realtor with the right skills will identify those that are authentic and well considered.

—The buyer’s agents’ communication style 🗣️

When you sit down with your agent always ask about their take on the agent representing the other party. Communication style, what they say or don’t say, can say a lot about how the transaction can go. Keep your eye out for the agent that will ask well-constructed questions, will make sure to put forth a well-written offer, and educate the buyer about the terms discussed.

—Buyer’s past experience in the market 🏡

Have they been looking for a week or 3 months? Have they had issues with their past offers? Paying attention to details like past contracts, finances, and people involved in the purchase decision gives you a more robust understanding the offer and will help set expectations moving forward.

Did you find these tips helpful? Let me know if I should make a Part II.

Also! I share a lot more insights as a part of my monthly newsletter. I keep these correspondences very intentional and insightful. If you want to join my list, call or email me.

Unsure of what to do in a shifting market?

Posted on by Living Room Realty

You’ve heard by now how fast interest rates are rising. From the thick of it, I can tell you that, yes, buyer traffic is slowing down because of it. If you’re a buyer, you may feel like the homes within your new budget are all of a sudden less “desirable”. But I must say, even though we still have extremely tight inventory, about a quarter of the homes I’m seeing on the market are going through a price reduction right now. Take heart! For the savvy buyer, there is still a lot to be gained.⁣
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Remember that interest rates fluctuate, and what we experienced in the last two years was anything but normal. This sharp increase in rates may have you reeling, but overall this will contribute to more stability and predictability to the market we all could use.⁣
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I empathize with you — no one likes a feeling of instability. If interest rates have you doubting your decisions, here are a few ways I can support you. I’m always open for a call, but if you’d like something a little more low-key, you can sign up for my newsletter where my lender partner and I keep you updated with everything you need to know about market movements in order to make an informed decision. Email me and I’ll add you to the list.

Strength Mixed With Gratitude

Posted on by Living Room Realty

 

It takes strength in courage to forage out on your own. Karen lost her husband to cancer months ago and she knew she needed to move to Portland to be near friends and family after her loss.

If she didn’t move, sadness might get the best of her.

I can’t express how grateful I feel to have been the one she hired to help her navigate her house hunting journey.  It was a tough one, but Karen never gave up.  We wrote on many homes but we were always the runner up. In a way it was a blessing, it gave us months to get to know one another.

If it wasn’t for clients like Karen that are willing to lean all in, share their vulnerability and wisdom, show their fears and fight, I would have quit this business years ago.  It’s people like her that make me feel like I am making a difference.

This woman gave me the inspiration I needed after working with a really hard set of clients (whom I can say nothing kind about).  I’m so happy to have made a new friend for life. Cheers to all the Karen’s out there!